Description: The 2023 denial of U.S. disaster assistance for the Iñupiat Community of the Arctic Slope (ICAS) marks a critical moment in the complex relationship between Indigenous Arctic communities and governmental response to disasters. This presentation explores the cultural and administrative factors behind the refusal of disaster aid to Iñupiat communities following a naturally occurring ice-scouring event that exposed vulnerable communities to cascading impacts for three consecutive months. Focusing on the denial, this research highlights the misalignment between U.S. federal disaster policies and the localized realities of geographically isolated Arctic communities. It challenges what is or is not a “disaster” and how policies often fail to account for cultural, geographic, and infrastructural complexities that define Indigenous Arctic regions.
Affiliation: Deputy Director of the Center for Arctic Security & Resilience (University of Alaska Fairbanks – UAF) / Homeland Security Advisor: Iñupiat Community of the Arctic Slope (ICAS) / Collaborating Faculty – College of Indigenous Studies (UAF)
Bio: Dr. John Pennington is an HSEM professional with an academic focus on Arctic Indigenous communities. A former FEMA Regional Director, he has coordinated response and recovery to over 30 disasters. He serves as Advisor to the Iñupiat Community of the Arctic Slope (ICAS) in the development of the first Arctic-based, Regional Tribal Emergency Management system in the United States.